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Why NOW is the time to discuss GSP vs. Anderson

Those rumors that we’ve been hearing off-and-on for the last couple years could finally be coming true—well, like in another year or so. For a long time, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva were the best pound for pound fighters in the world and champions in their respective divisions. Now, neither man is holding a belt, and neither is likely to fight again in the immediate future.

But still, the lure of the super-fight is as strong as ever. For Silva’s manager, Jorge Guimaraes, the thought of this dream fight is still on his mind. “Don’t you think that’s an option?” he asked MMA Junkie, as if the question really needed an answer.

Silva’s other manager, Ed Soares also chimed in with his approval: “Man, if we were able to pull something like that off, it would be a win-win for everybody, the fans, the UFC. I think that would be awesome.”

I’ve heard reaction both positive and negative about this proposition. Some critics—who will likely NEVER be satisfied no matter what fights are presented—claim a super-fight between two non-champions is meaningless. I don’t get that at all.

In fact, isn’t this the perfect time to stage a GSP/Silva fight? Since no belts are on the line, it’s quite simply an awesome fight. No weight class issues, and no divisions being held hostage while the champions bypass all the contenders to face each other. I’ve never been a fan of the super-fight for that reason. Why hold up an entire division while two champs fight an exhibition?

I understand a super-fight is far from an exhibition, but I hope you get my point. My argument is that there’s never been a better time to hold this fight. GSP/Silva would headline the biggest event of any year and do huge numbers. Despite their new status as non-champions, they remain arguably the 2 biggest stars in the sport. The middleweight and welterweight divisions would continue to roll along while their respective champs still staged interesting and meaningful championship matchups.

Assuming both fighters are healthy—mentally as well as physically—and willing to return to the cage at approximately the same time, this could be a perfect scenario. It’s what we’ve been holding our breath for. Let’s do this thing.